The $100 MBA Show

Writers rule the Internet, but videographers are the gatekeepers. So what’s the best way to use video to support a blog? Today, we weigh the two biggest options: YouTube and the ‘Gram. If you could only focus on one, which is the most effective? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener with a travel blog. The good stuff is in the articles, but this savvy blogger knows that people find their wa...

When we think coaching, we think live calls. But it’s not the only way. Yes, you can coach via email (you heard that right). Today, we explore why you should, and how it works. It’s really pretty ingenious. Because it’s asynchronous, you can coach people whose schedules don’t align with yours. Because it’s written, you can reach people who aren’t comfortable with live video. Because it’s email, yo...

Japan does business differently. Today kicks off a 4-part series on the Japanese approach to everything from product development to customer service — and why it all just…works. We begin with Part 1, an exploration of the cultural attitudes and values that position Japanese entrepreneurs to succeed wildly. …and no, you don’t have to be Japanese to do some of this yourself. It’s all rooted in a dif...

The best email campaign in the world won’t help your business if no one reads it. So how can you make sure people actually see what you’re saying (without misleading subject lines, that is)? Today, we offer a few very specific answers. In both of our businesses, we’ve had ups and downs in our open rates. Along the way, we’ve discovered some moves that work. In this episode, we’ll share 4 things th...

YouTube: it’s one heckuva revenue-generator for anyone making video content. But how much can you really expect to bring in? And how can you optimize your approach to earn the most? Today, we unpack how to monetize your YouTube channel. Yes, we’ll discuss the ad revenue model — but it’s not the only way to get paid for YouTubing. In this episode, we’ll explore a few ways to turn videos into profit...

Customer Support should never be a secondary concern — it’s a selling point, and key to fighting churn. But a listener wants to know: how much Support can you expect your team to offer?  It’s Q&A Wednesday, and our listener has more Support requests than the current (single) Support agent can handle. Is it because there are more requests than any one person can deal with? Or is it because this one...

Urgency sells. But nothing turns people off like fake urgency (y’know, like those furniture stores that’ve been “going out of business” for the last 20 years). So how can you get folks to “buy now” without sounding full of it? The answer: deadline funnels. Deadline funnels are an automated way to create individualized timed special offers — emphasis on “timed.” The lead engages with your content,...

Don’t settle for success. Build a business you’re over the moon about! Today, we sit down with someone who did exactly that: Majik Media ’s Bradley T. Morris. Bradley built the life of his dreams — which mostly involves adventures, night golf, and co-creating products with Majik Kids with his 6-year-old son  — by staying true to what really made him tick (and ditching the rest).  He even gave up s...

Is your business a lifetime commitment — or a way out? Today we explore the difference between “lifestyle” businesses and businesses designed for (eventual) sale.  Which one are you building?  Thing is, you need to answer that question, like yesterday. Because the way you build and run your business will differ wildly depending on what your endgame is.  “Lifestyle” businesses are all yours. You’re...

Recession anyone? Sooner or later, a rainy day comes. But with a little planning ahead, you can thrive in the rain.  Today, we explain how the current economic moment is the perfect example of why you need a war chest.  When the economy slows and interest rates rise, it becomes much more expensive to borrow the cash you need to invest in your business…unless you borrow it from yourself, that is. A...

Are you using social media, or is it using you?  Today, we share tried-and-true strategies for using these addictive platforms strategically — not mindlessly. Facebook, Insta, and the rest can be incredibly valuable tools. But they don’t exist to serve your business. They exist to serve their own. If you’re not careful, you can end up investing your time and energy into something that benefits Zuc...

Nothing stays the same forever — not if it’s going to grow. That’s true for your team, too. If your team isn’t getting better, it’s stagnating. Which means your business is stagnating. Which means your business is dying. So how do you stop this from happening? How do you keep your team out of a rut? At some point, you’ll probably have to replace some people. You can’t let fear of change (or potent...

You have a great idea for a product. But you don’t have the time, resources, or know-how to bring it to life. No problem. Today’s guest teacher, Stephen Key, knows all there is to know about “open innovation” — allowing other companies to license your idea and bring it to market. They take the risk. They do the work. You reap the benefits. It’s a win-win! Of course, you have to do some legwork fir...

Competition is a good thing — if you know how to use it. We often think it’d be great to be the only one selling what we’re selling. But if that were true, it wouldn’t be an awesome sign re: consumer demand. So instead of being afraid of the competition, let’s turn it to our advantage! In this episode, we’ll share a few ways. With examples from famous brands and our own businesses, we’ll explore h...

Sometimes the simplest tricks have the most dramatic results. Case in point: The Rule of 3. Human brain psychology 101 teaches us that people are selective about what goes into their memories. If it’s not easily understandable, digestible, and recallable, our brains won’t make space for it. But with the right structure and rhythm, almost anything can find a place on the “top shelf” of our minds. T...

How much time off is too much?   Or is there any such thing as too much? In an era of high employment and the ‘Great Resignation,’ it can be tough to make your company the place to be for the most talented and dedicated employees. One benefit some startups have tried sounds a little extreme, but it’s a thing: unlimited leave.   The question: does that really work out? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve...

Live events are back — but that doesn’t mean things are exactly the way they used to be.   From a small meetup to a major conference, the way you plan and execute a live event might need some adjusting. Attitudes, expectations, and realities have changed drastically in the last few years. As in all things business, those who fail to evolve get left behind. Today, we’ll explore 5 things that can to...

Fact: No matter what you do, you will never scale your business. Your team will. That’s what scaling is: growing your business beyond what any one person can accomplish on their own. Which means that one of the most important keys to scaling is assembling the right crew. Today’s guest teacher knows a thing or two about that. In fact, he scaled his way up from solopreneurship to a team of over a hu...

There are lots of ways to share what you know. But one is the most complete, comprehensive, and effective: live courses. They’re the closest thing to teaching someone in person. More intimate than a blog post or YouTube video, more in-depth than a webinar, the live course is the ultimate way to sell your unique knowledge and experience. Today, we’ll explain how that’s easily worth $10k per month....

It’s not that you won’t like it. It’s that you might find it confusing, or hard to believe. But it’s true. Also — despite being an answer of sorts — it raises some questions. But if you implement this one very basic principle, you’ll see results. We have. Other entrepreneurs we’ve worked with and coached have.   But it can take time. This isn’t some ancient secret or a newfangled “hack” sweeping t...

Success isn’t a matter of size. In fact, you can make a decent profit with even a small audience — if you know how to monetize it. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping a fellow podcaster figure out how to generate revenue. Our listener has their own podcast audience of about 500. Not massive, but not anything to sneeze at either. Is that a big enough crowd to attract some podcast sponsors? If not...

YouTube: it’s the top platform for online content consumption, by a mile. With millions of eyeballs watching countless hours of video each day, entrepreneurs are scrambling to establish a YouTube presence. And for good reason — with so many potential customers on the platform, the potential for reaching your target audience and building a strong brand is huge.  But with so much competition, it can...

Not everything in every “Must Read” is a…must. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn something valuable from it. Today we tackle Expert Secrets by one of the most influential personalities in entrepreneurship: Russell Brunson. In this book, Brunson teaches you how to position yourself as an expert in your field and build a strong following. It’s a comprehensive guide to creating a “tribe,” and tur...

You have a product. You have an email list. What now? A simple “Hey [name], this thing is for sale” won’t do the trick. To get results from email campaigns, you need to do more than just sell. You need to engage. Today, we share the ingredients for an effective email campaign — based on months of research and our years of experience. These are the tactics and strategies that have worked for us. It...

When profit margins are thin, your business isn’t safe. Yet even when we know the numbers aren’t good, entrepreneurs are often afraid to do what it takes to get deeper into the black. That’s because we don’t realize something important: your profits don’t have to come at the expense of your customers. You can always increase the distance between what you spend and what you bring in — without alien...